Saving Popstar's Christmas
by Blue Toad
Summary: That devious tyrant Dedede has stolen all of Popstar's Christmas presents! Can Kirby and his pals get them back? Or will Christmas be ruined? A Kirby one-shot Christmas fanfic, rated K for fighting. Merry Christmas, all!


**It's Christmas time! And I'm no Scrooge, so you lovely Kirby fans get a Kirby Christmas fanfic! Aren't you lucky!**

**The plot is a simple one. Dedede has stolen Popstar's Christmas presents and Kirby and 'co must get them back before Christmas is ruined! I must admit, I always wanted to do a Kirby fic...not a one-shot Christmas like this, with chapters and everything with a storyline behind it. It'd have Kirby helpers as Ocs who helped Kirby and everything. Now, I've kinda taken a few elements of what I might do in a Kirby fic one day, and placed them in this fic to experiment. So, there's one OC, please live with it, I'm not a major fan of them myself and that's it. This isn't based off the anime; it does use elements, but I want to portray Kirby and his world in my own way with influence from the games and the anime. So expect something a little newer then what you might be used to!**

**I won't bore you with anymore details, so I really hope you enjoy it!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kirby. All rights Nintendo; Hal Laboratories.**

* * *

_~Saving Popstar's Christmas~_

If there was one time of the year King Dedede absolutely despised, it was Christmas.

He hated everything about it. Putting up gaudy decorations and that the food was the same he always got. But he especially hated the thought of having to give presents to other people..._his_ _subjects_.

The large penguin sighed, miserable as ever due to the time of year. The castle was never decorated by order of Dedede; the only difference was that the fireplace in his throne room was lit, so that his highness never grew cold. If there was one thing Dedede hated more then Christmas, it was feeling cold. He rested his head on one of his hands; wasn't there anything good about this time of year? The answer, in short, was no.

A knock on the large oak doors, and Dedede didn't even say anything. Taking this as a cue to enter, a lone Waddle Doo entered the throne room.

"Greetings, your Majesty!" He spoke cheerfully. "Isn't today splendid?"

Dedede shrugged. "At this time of year, every day is horrible."

"What makes you say that, your Majesty?"

Obviously, this Waddle Doo was new to working under the King, and did not understand how things ran around the ruler of Dreamland's castle.

"Is it because you haven't received any Christmas cards?" Waddle Doo asked.

Dedede's fists tightened, and his forehead seemed to suddenly pulse with the slightest hint of rage.

"I've gotten loads! I got this really cute one from Waddle Fee...and I think she might even like me..." The Waddle Doo's face turned pink as Dedede suddenly snapped;

"_WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP!" _The King roared, his face towering (even from a distance) over Waddle Doo and the small minion gave a start, falling onto the red carpet. He had heard how explosive the King's anger could be, and he deeply regretted ever saying anything.

While Dedede seemed on the verge of reaching for his hammer, he gave a exasperated sigh, and merely sat back on his throne, looking quite defeated.

"I hate Christmas." King Dedede muttered.

Waddle Doo was surprised at this. Who on the whole of Popstar hated _Christmas?_ It was like Kirby hating food! After a few moments, he bravely asked "A-and w-why is that...your Majesty?"

"No one ever gives me presents...and Kirby gets way more then me!"

Waddle Doo gasped, and pressed his hands to his face, a tear leaking at the bottom of the circle. Even for someone like King Dedede, getting no presents at Christmas was a nightmare in Dreamland!

"Well...um...m-maybe if you...were a bit nicer..." Waddle Doo began, and instantly regretted it, for Dedede's glaring face pierced Waddle Doo's eyes like the sword of a Blade Knight.

"W-Well, I-I _meant _to s-say..." Waddle Doo seemed lost for a proper explanation, but was spurred into action when Dedede's hand reached for his mighty hammer again.

"Y-You're always i-i-i-in the c-castle, your M-Majesty!" Waddle Doo explained in a panic, his tiny arms waving everywhere.

"I-If you...got out more...p-people could see how n-nice you really are...and then they'd send gifts to you!" Waddle Doo breathed. That was a good enough explanation, right?

...Not really.

"_I'M KING DEDEDE! I DON'T NEED TO PROVE I'M WORTHY OF PRESENTS!!"_ Dedede yelled, and instantly began hopping up and down on his throne, shaking the entire castle.

"O-Oh! Y-Your Majesty! B-Be careful, please! R-Remember what the Doctor said...I-If you lose your temper...!"

Dedede ceased his tantrum, looking quite exhausted, but then gave a yell. "I'm the King! I should get presents all the time!"

Waddle Doo seemed unsure of how to continue, but Dedede crossed his arms and his face showed he was trying to think deep. "There's gotta be a way to show everyone I deserve gifts..."

Then, something hit Dedede. And a joyful, happy expression came across his features, and he clapped his hands together. _"That's it!"_

"Y-Your Majesty...? What do you plan to do...?" Waddle Doo tilted his body, confused.

"I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner!" Dedede hopped off his throne and grabbed his hammer.

"Think of what?"

"Forget getting my own presents, I'll just nab everyone else's!" Dedede gave a laugh and proceeded to walk past Waddle Doo, while his minion looked torn between the King and everyone else.

"But...sir...they're not our presents!"

Dedede froze, and Waddle Doo immediately gulped. The King turned to face Waddle Doo, his face filled with rage. He began to slowly lift his hammer above his head...

"_I-I-I-I MEAN I'LL GET THE WADDLE DEE SQUAD READY, YOUR MAJESTY!"_ He instantly raced past Dedede at full speed, out of the room as the King held his hammer over his shoulder, and gave a laugh.

"And no one's gonna stop me this time! Not even Kirby..." He sneered.

* * *

Waddle Doo wiped a small bead of sweat from his forehead. He was wearing a Santa hat and found it made him somewhat hot, but he didn't mind. After all, it was Christmas! He had to celebrate it, and so he thought the hat was a nice touch for the plan...in a sense.

"Okay everyone, are we ready?" He spoke a little too cheerfully. The plan was to head all over Dreamland in one night and steal everyone's presents. They had assembled in Dedede's courtyard, surrounded by snow. It was a perfect night for stealing Christmas presents; not a cloud in the star-filled sky!

The Waddle Dees gave a salute, and Waddle Doo suddenly pointed to the castle drawbridge. "Then let's go!"

Suddenly, there was a rush of Waddle Dees piling out of the castle, all prepared to steal from everywhere across Dreamland. Once they had all left, Waddle Doo remained on the floor, sporting several injuries from just being trampled.

He stood up and shook himself, before noticing everyone had gone without him!

"H-Hey! Everyone, wait for me!" He yelled, running out of the courtyard.

* * *

The next morning, the fiasco across Popstar was spectacular.

Kirby had been snoozing in his little house, tucked in his warm, cozy bed. Kirby liked the warmth, but he also didn't mind the cold.

However, Kirby _wasn't _used to being woken up by large noises...specifically...

**BANG!**

Kirby gave a start, flying into the air, and wiggled about before landing curtly on his bed, breathing silently. Stunned at what he had just heard, he hopped off the bed and walked over to his door; opening it and stepping into the snow...

He immediately ducked to avoid another bomb being thrown near his house.

"_!!!"_

He knew that voice! It was Poppy, a cheerful girl who was clad in a strange pink get up, with a Santa-like hat herself. But she wore that all the time, and her shoes were red. She was quite good with bombs...but alas, she was also somewhat...scatterbrained.

"Kirby! Kirby!" She ran towards the pink puffball through the snow, looking as if she had just ran one hundred miles. Stopping in front of him, she panted, and Kirby looked at her, confused.

"Puyo?" He asked.

"GIFTS THE CHRISTMAS BEEN STOLEN HAVE!" Poppy yelled frantically. Then, she blushed.

"No...wait...that's not right. I mean...THE STOLEN HAVE CHRISTMAS BEEN GIFTS!" For a moment, Kirby stared at her before she turned rose red this time.

"No no no! Get it together, Poppy!" Then, she began to spin around, angry with herself and throwing out bombs. Kirby immediately buried his face into the snow when she yelled;

"_THE CHRISTMAS GIFTS HAVE BEEN STOLEN!!!"_

Kirby gave a gasp, looking at Poppy as if she would burst out laughing and declare the whole thing a joke...but Kirby knew better. Even though she was a rare female Poppy Bros Jr, she never joked about, unlike the males of her species better.

"It's true! I woke up and mine were gone! I ran next door to see Sir Kibble, and it turned out his were missing too! Then, we found out more and more people had been robbed! Someone's taken all the presents!" Then, a thought hit Poppy.

"Kirby, what about you?"

Kirby gave a start and ran into his house to check. Poppy remained outside, and could suddenly hear crying.

"I-It's okay, Kirby!" She walked in and patted the pink puffball, who was positively in tears at his own gifts having vanished. "Don't worry! We'll find them...I'm sure of it!

Kirby gave a sniff and looked up at her, and she smiled. "Definitely! Or I'm a Poppy Bros Jr! Wait...I am one! Or...am I? I mean, I'm a girl and it's called Poppy _Bros_ Jr, so..."

"If you don't mind..." A voice began to speak; "I think I've found a lead on who stole them."

Poppy and Kirby turned around to see a familiar face in the doorway...

"Knuckle Joe! What are you doing here?" Poppy asked, surprised. Kirby, however, didn't seem to care, as he instantly glomped the blonde fighter with a cheerful "Puyo!"

"K-Kirby! I-I'm happy to see you too, now get off!" He scolded the pink puffball, who hopped off playfully. Joe dusted himself off before continuing.

"Well, I got up at dawn to work out, and I must have been one of the last to have been robbed...because the culprit was just about to make a getaway from my dojo." Knuckle Joe smirked.

"You caught the guy responsible?! So where are the presents?" Poppy asked, cheerfully.

"...I'm afraid it's not as easy as that." Joe stepped into the house, and Kirby and Poppy could now see what...or _who_, rather, he had been blocking.

"A Waddle Dee? He stole all the presents?" Poppy asked, stunned. The Waddle Dee wasn't struggling at the ropes Joe had put around him, but merely looking at them all with a blank expression.

"Well, not mine. I caught him, after all." There was a smug tone from Knuckle Joe, but Poppy couldn't see why.

"Um...h-he's just a Waddle Dee, Joe-"

"S-So?!" Joe seemed to be getting hot-headed, as was a weakness of his, but he calmed down and crossed his arms before he got irritated. "Look. I got it out of him myself, but..." He turned around and untied the Waddle Dee, who then took out a red crayon.

"See for yourselves." From a nearby desk, Knuckle Joe took some paper that Kirby liked to scribble on, and the Waddle Dee began to draw on it. After several moments, he held up the paper before them. It was a bad drawing, but they knew exactly who was that fat, who dressed up in those clothes, who carried a large hammer around with him...

"King Dedede!" Poppy gasped.

Knuckle Joe nodded, and Kirby scowled. He thought King Dedede was mean, but this was downright low. Stealing everyone's _Christmas presents?!_ How could he?

"We have to head for Dedede Castle and take 'em back!" Joe clenched a fist, and suddenly pumped it forward in Kirby's direction.

"I know you'll help out, right?!"

Kirby gave a determined nod, and Knuckle Joe smirked.

"Never doubted ya for a second, Kirby."

"What about me?!" Poppy cut in. "I'll bomb that Dedede to Ripple Star!"

Joe turned around, unable to face her. When Poppy got mad, she was worse then him.

"Well...uh...m-me and Kirby will be fine..." He spoke tentatively.

"Oh, c'mon! I can deal with Dedede and his minions! Or don't you want me to help?!" She asked angrily.

"N-No! It's not that!" He turned around and began to shake his hands frantically, while Kirby and the Waddle Dee looked at the scene before them. "I...I...alright, fine, you can come!" Knuckle Joe finally gave in, defeated.

"Thank you! I'll do my best to lesson that Dedede a teach!" Poppy spoke. Then, she blushed.

"W-Wait, I mean-"

"We don't have time for this! We have to hurry and get the presents back, or Christmas will be ruined!"

Knuckle Joe ran out of the house, followed by Kirby who gave a cheerful "Puyo!" and Poppy. "H-Hey! Wait for me, guys!"

The Waddle Dee, meanwhile, was left on his own. Looking around Kirby's house, he picked up the red crayon and continued to draw on the paper...

* * *

"Kirby, haven't you got the Warp Star?" Knuckle Joe asked. Kirby shook his head, and the blue clothed fighter sighed.

"Great. So how are we gonna get in?"

A few metres away was King Dedede's Castle. Kirby, Knuckle Joe and Poppy had hidden behind a few star blocks. Poppy peeked a look from above the star blocks, before Knuckle Joe grabbed her and pulled her down.

"Idiot! You'll give us away!"

"Why don't we just barge in and blow 'em up? Kirby does it all the time!" She pointed at the pink puffball, who nodded as if agreeing with her with his eyes closed; a sign that he was proud of his achievement of blowing things up all the time. Knuckle Joe sighed.

"Look, Dedede might not even be here, or they might actually beat us! We need to maintain the element of surprise..." Knuckle Joe looked towards the castle.

"That's one of the skills Meta Knight taught me."

"Pfft, Meta Knight. He thinks he's so smart." Poppy responded with an irritated tone. Then, something struck her.

"Why isn't he helping us?"

Joe tapped his fist on the star blocks, before finally responding;

"You think it's easy to track down a flying battleship?" He remarked.

Poppy sighed.

"No...guess not." Kirby looked sad as well, before Poppy suddenly perked up.

"Hey, you said Dedede might not be there, right? Well, no one might be there at all! Let's find out!" She suddenly pulled out a bomb, and Joe's face turned pale.

"P-Poppy, no!"

But before he could stop her, she had lobbed the bomb straight through the air...

* * *

Several Waddle Dees were patrolling the floors of Dedede's castle. His Majesty's throne room was on the third, and there was no way to get at it unless you went through the roof or came up from below. There was many Waddle Dees, so there was little chance of someone trying to attack, of course.

...Well, not really.

**BANG!**

One or two Waddle Dees flew back from the explosion and hit the wall, dazed. Several more headed towards the ruined wall, where they could see the outside.

"_Hm, sounds like no one's there! Lemme check again..."_

A bomb suddenly came hurtling towards them, and the Waddle Dees fled in panic as it hit the same spot. What aiming!

As the Waddle Dees ran about like headless chickens, a person in the shadows of Dedede's Castle scoffed at the chaos before him.

"_Fools...the slightest danger, and you act like it's the end of the world. Pathetic."_

King Dedede had also heard the explosions in his throne room. He had been counting the presents his minions had gathered, which nearly covered the whole room, except for the King's throne. Waddle Doo had been counting with him with the help of a calculator.

"One...plus...one...plus...one...plus...two! Oh, I messed up!" He whined as he had to start again. However, Dedede had finished at that precise moment.

"OVER NINE THOUSAND PRESENTS! HA HA HA HA HA!" He laughed. Whether the King stole something, it always put him in a good mood. Until it was stolen again.

"What?! Nine thousand?!" Waddle Doo exclaimed. Then, he suddenly tilted his head.

"Hmm...your Majesty? I just had the strangest wave of deja vu-"

**BANG!**

"W-What the?!" The King exclaimed as he tried to keep his balance amongst the shaking castle. Waddle Doo however failed, and began bouncing around the room before landing in a heap of presents.

"What are those Waddle Dees screwing up this time..." Dedede grumbled before heading for the throne doors...

**BANG!**

The castle shook again, and Waddle Doo was knocked into the air as King Dedede suddenly tripped and began flopping around like a fish. As it stopped, Waddle Doo landed with a plop on some presents.

"Whew, that was close!" He said thankfully.

The next moment, he was flattened by a fat penguin.

Dedede lifted himself up, and dusted himself while Waddle Doo stood up as well, dizzy from just being squished.

A dark figure suddenly appeared in the doorway.

"Your Majesty...it appears we are under attack." The figure spoke curtly.

"W-What?! Are you seriously?!" Dedede raged.

"Quite so. Two bombs were just thrown at us...and from the lookout towers, we could confirm it was Kirby and two allies who did the throwing."

If Dedede was mad at being attacked, it was _nothing _compared to hearing that it was his nemesis who was responsible for it...he took a deep breath before continuing...or rather, screaming;

"_**I AM GONNA CLOBBER THAT PINK PUFFBALL!!"**_ Hopping over his presents, he grabbed his mighty mallet and turned again to the dark figure.

"I want all cannon fire directed at that pipsqueak! And if he gets inside, finish him and his friends off before they reach the throne room!"

"Understood, your Majesty." The figure left before Dedede wheeled around to face Waddle Doo, who was still somewhat out of it.

"And you! I want no one coming in here that shouldn't be allowed, got it?! Anyone round and pink gets in, you've gotta kick 'em out!"

"Y-Yes, your...Majesty..." Waddle Doo murmured. He sat down on the floor, whispering to himself;

"Kick 'em out...Kick 'em out..."

King Dedede, meanwhile, stomped out of the room. Today was be the day he would put an end to that nuisance...this was going to be the best Christmas ever!

* * *

"Do you think I should have thrown them a little lower?" Poppy asked. Knuckle Joe's face was taunt with rage. This is _exactly _why he had been against her coming in the first place!

"Oh no, why not throw _five_ at once?! They'll never see that coming!" Joe spat sarcastically.

"Sure! That'll work!" Kirby hopped up and down excitedly as Poppy lobbed another bomb, followed by another and another, and Joe sighed. What was the point in trying to reason with her?

However, it seemed that Dedede Castle didn't like being blasted with bombs. From the towers and several windows suddenly came small cannon fire, blasting each bomb before they could make a successful hit. Joe peeked out from behind the blocks and gave a small weak moan before the cannons aimed at their exact position.

"M-MOVE!"

He grabbed Poppy and dashed out from the side, while Kirby puffed himself up into the air. They were in the nick of time, as the blocks were blasted to smithereens. But this now meant they were in open view. Knuckle Joe made his decision without hesitation.

"Alright, looks like we're just barging in and taking those presents back!" He began running forward, stepping sideways to avoid being the victim of a cannon blast. Poppy was behind him, and Kirby was bringing up the rear.

"_Get down!"_ The trio ducked as all the cannons fired at once, a massive combined blast only just missing them. However, as Poppy stood up, she noticed a smudge of dirt on her hat. Not good.

"_This is my favourite hat as well!"_ Poppy screamed as she hurled a bomb at the right tower. It made a direct hit, causing a massive **BANG!**

"Great work, Poppy! Now let's move!" Joe yelled as he and Kirby ran past her. The drawbridge was only a few meters away...

"G-Guys! Wait for me!" Poppy followed them, trudging through the snow as they hopped onto the drawbridge...but then it shuddered.

"P-Puyo!" Kirby exclaimed.

Although Kirby and Joe were on the bridge, Poppy still had yet to make it...and a Waddle Dee was bringing the drawbridge up.

"N-No! W-Wait!" She cried, desperate to make it. Kirby suddenly hopped onto the edge as it rose up and began inhaling; the massive amount of suction bringing Poppy up to him. He stopped as she managed to grab the edge, and Joe had already slid down into the castle courtyard.

"_Hurry, it's almost shut!"_ He yelled.

"If they do that, I'll bomb this gate to pieces!" She retorted angrily. Kirby took hold of Poppy's hands, gave a tug, and they both fell into the closing gap as the drawbridge sealed. They'd made it!

"Thank you, Kirby!" Poppy exclaimed cheerfully, hugging her friend. Kirby gave a relaxed sound as he rubbed against her...

"Uh...guys?"

They both turned to see an army of Waddle Dee surrounding them, with Knuckle Joe poised to fight.

"Little hand here...?"

Kirby nodded, and hopped next to Joe, while Poppy had already thrown a bomb through the air...

* * *

**BANG!**

"So they made it inside." The figure muttered to the Waddle Dee next to him. The Waddle Dee was viewing the events in the courtyard with a small telescope from the left tower; the one that had not been blown up by Poppy.

"What I do not understand," And the figure walked next to a cannon, examining it. "...Is why there was eggnog in this, being stored before we filled it with ammo."

The Waddle Dee mimed wiping the telescope, still watching the events, and the figure sighed. "Keeping it clean. Yes, very well. I'll pretend you Waddle Dees don't have secret Christmas festivities right under Dedede's nose..."

The Waddle Dee gave a hand sign for "OK". There was another loud **BANG **from below, and several Waddle Dees were thrown up into the air. The figure gave a "tsk".

"I guess I had better intervene before we lose. Like always."

* * *

Kirby inhaled a Waddle Dee, and sent a star hurtling out towards another one, hitting it head-on. Poppy meanwhile was throwing bomb after bomb, and what with Knuckle Joe pummelling away with Vulcan Jabs and even a Smash Punch to send a bunch of them back at once, the Waddle Dees were soon taken care of.

"I guess that's that then." Joe spoke, barely a sweat broken.

"Peh, is that all? I was expecting more from old Dedede and his minions..." Poppy smirked.

"_Then allow me to satisfy your desire for 'more'."_ A voice spoke. Knuckle Joe suddenly brought his fists up, completely focused.

"Who said that?!"

The courtyard was mostly covered in snow, and because the path and the grass were covered, the only thing that stood out was the giant Dedede statue in the center. From the middle of the pedestal the statue was situated on; they could see something was odd about that area.

Suddenly, a grey wall was thrown aside as a small, purple ninja revealed himself, a red ponytail behind his garb and his face mysterious dark.

"Bio Spark." Knuckle Joe murmured.

Kirby gave a sort of determined stare at the ninja, while Poppy looked confused.

"So...wait. Who's this guy?" She asked.

"One of Dedede's best minions. He's famed for his abilities as a ninja." Knuckle Joe explained, not taking his eyes off of Bio Spark. The ninja chuckled.

"Thank you for the compliment. Dedede is not someone I...enjoy working under. But when you are bound to someone, you must act their every command. And he wishes none of you pass."

"Surely even you think stealing Christmas presents is wrong?!" Poppy pleaded, her hands brought up to his chest in distress. Bio Spark gave a flick of his ponytail before continuing.

"I think it was a waste of time. A stupid plan, but then again, Dedede is just that. Stupid." He turned to face the trio.

"However, do not get the wrong idea. I will defeat each of you."

"I won't let that happen." Knuckle Joe spoke suddenly. Although Bio Spark's face was hidden, he was amused.

"I have heard of you. Knuckle Joe. Dog to the owner that is Sir Meta Knight."

"D-Dog?!" Knuckle Joe raged, clenching his teeth tightly (as well as his fists) while Bio Spark chuckled.

"I would see how much you learned. Although Kirby is an interesting opponent..." Bio Spark hesitated before continuing. "I yearn to fight those taught by Sir Meta Knight."

Knuckle Joe nodded. "I accept your challenge...But."

"Yes?"

"Only if you let these two into the castle."

Bio Spark stood there silently, while Kirby suddenly tugged at Knuckle Joe's arm.

"Puyo! Puyo!" He began shaking his head, looking very sad.

"He's right, Joe! You don't know what this guy's capable of..." Poppy whispered.

"...Very well." Poppy's face became worried, and Kirby seemed dead set against it, but the two warrior's stances spoke for themselves.

"C'mon, we haven't got enough time as it is!" Knuckle Joe urged the pair. "You need to get inside and find those Christmas presents...or else Christmas will be ruined!"

Kirby looked up at Knuckle Joe, as if pleading him to change his mind. Poppy, however, gave in.

"...Alright. Kirby, come on, we need to hurry." Poppy suddenly grabbed Kirby and began to drag him off. Although Kirby tried to resist, Poppy kept on pulling him, focusing her efforts on getting through the doors that led inside to the castle.

"_Joe will be fine...mustn't look back...mustn't look back..."_

Eventually, their shuffling had faded away. Bio Spark withdrew a kunai and gripped it tightly in his hand.

"I hope you are ready." He spoke. Knuckle Joe nodded, and he suddenly sprang forward, hoping to finish this quickly. Bio Spark however vanished in the blink of an eye.

"_W-What the...?" _Joe suddenly stopped, and turned around to find his opponent before he made his next move. Suddenly, he sensed something behind him, and rolled forward. A kunai was now stabbing the spot where he had standing only seconds ago. Looking up, Joe saw that Bio Spark had throw the weapon from the top of the statue...Dedede's head.

"Not bad." Joe smirked. "Ninja opponents are fun to fight. I'm glad you aren't disappointing."

"I'll be sure to thrill you some more before defeating you, then." Bio Spark replied before jumping from the statue, and grabbing his kunai. As he vanished again, Knuckle Joe hopped to the spot where the ninja had just been in order to escape another attack...

"Fool. Did you really think I moved?" Knuckle Joe felt a hand grab the back of his neck, and the next thing he knew, he was flying up into the air.

"_Gotta...get away...!"_

But there was no escape. Bio Spark suddenly hurled Knuckle Joe to the ground. Although the surface was snow, Joe hit the surface hard. He barely had time to recover himself before the ninja had thrown three shurikens at his foe, and Joe rolled out of the way again.

"_Dammit...how many weapons does he have?!"_ Knuckle Joe stood up and adapted a fighting pose, trying hard to focus where Bio Spark was now.

"_...Kunai from the left!"_ Joe jumped to the side, narrowly missing a kunai that instead hit the drawbridge.

"_It appears this has become a game of target practise. Looks like I will be the one enjoying myself now."_

_

* * *

_

Kirby inhaled a Waddle Dee with a parasol for a weapon, and became Parasol Kirby while Poppy hurled another bomb up the stairs; they were just clearing the first floor of Dedede's castle, and were now heading up to the second. Several Waddle Dees fled through a door at the top of the staircase as Poppy's bomb exploded. The door was blasted off it's hinges and Kirby and Poppy hurried upwards. Suddenly, a Waddle Dee pushed a cannon through the door (or what was left of it) and the pair froze.

"Puyo!" Kirby suddenly used his new parasol as a shield, Poppy kneeling behind him. The parasol was hit with a...splat?

"...Eggnog?" Poppy spoke bewildered, looking at the milky-like substance on Kirby's parasol. Kirby suddenly hopped in the air excitedly; he _loved_ eggnog! He ran forward, inhaling every piece that was fired at him.

"You go, Kirby!" Poppy cheered, following him up the stairs. They came up to another corridor, where there were now no Waddle Dees, but various Blade Knights. One tried to ambush the pair by hiding right next to the doorway, but as Kirby rushed in, he bashed the parasol into the knight's face. Poppy grabbed the stunned knight's sword as she followed Kirby and threw it, whacking another Blade Knight in the face.

"Who said I could only throw bombs well?" Poppy smiled, then ducked behind a starblock to escape the fire bursting from a Burnin' Leo's mouth. Kirby immediately did a slide, his feet flat on the floor, and sent the minion into the air, falling to the ground with a thud.

Suddenly, all the Blade Knights stepped aside, and from a staircase to the third floor came a small black wheel, hurtling towards Kirby.

"Kirby! It's a Wheelie!" Poppy yelled, as Kirby flashed and lost his parasol powers. Then, he inhaled at just the right moment, swallowing the black wheel whole. Then, he became Wheel Kirby. The Blade Knights suddenly rushed forward, to attack while Kirby was distracted.

Then, a pink wheel was charging towards the remaining Blade Knights, hurtling into them at an insane speed. Each Blade Knight was smacked aside as Kirby raced up the stairs, with Poppy hurrying after him.

"H-Hey! Kirby! You could have _at least_ waited for me!"

* * *

Knuckle Joe wasn't having the easiest time of his life.

He had already twigged what Bio Spark's motive was for a long-ranged fight. He was attempting to wear Knuckle Joe down and leave him tired, before finishing him off for good. But although Joe didn't like to admit it, it was working.

Taking a breath, willing him to calm himself, he suddenly dashed right through the snow, and a wave of shurikans was unleashed at him. Knuckle Joe turned and noticed Bio Spark had returned to the front of the Dedede statue.

"_Now's my chance!"_

Knuckle Joe held back his fist, and suddenly unleashed a Smash Punch; a blue wave of energy hurtling towards Bio Spark. The ninja vanished with a twist before it reached him however, and it instead hit the Dedede statue.

There was a small crack that appeared before the statue Dedede's chest broke, causing the whole statue to topple down into pieces. Neither fighters showed any concern however; both too caught up in trying to defeat their opponent.

Knuckle Joe rolled to avoid a kunai hurled towards him, and then paused, taking deep breaths. There was no way he'd be able to keep this up for much longer...he had to land a blow and win this fight, or else.

"_If only there was a way to stop him moving about...!"_ The fighter thought desperately. He took a step back and his foot crunched against the ground. Knuckle Joe looked down to see the source of the noise.

"_Snow...wait! That's it!"_ Keeping his hand concealed behind his back, Knuckle Joe began morphing the snow into a small ball; a snowball. Waiting for his opponent to make a move, Knuckle Joe suddenly caught Bio Spark out of the corner of his left eye.

"_Gotcha!"_ He hurled the snowball immediately across the courtyard. Bio Spark had been preparing a kunai when he saw the object fly towards him. His eyes widened.

"_What in the name of...?!"_

The ninja was struck squarely in the face, and he dropped the kunai, using both hands to quickly wipe the snow from his vision so he could see. When he had gained his sight back, Knuckle Joe had already reached him, his fist drawn back and ablaze with blue energy.

"_RISING BREAK!"_ Knuckle Joe yelled, before landing his blow directly on Bio Spark's jaw. The ninja was hurled through the air and landed with a thud on the snow, some distance away from Joe. After a moment, Bio Spark stood up.

"...Impressive. To use snow in order to distract your opponent...a tactic that could only be used by a fighter with both brains and brawns."

"Heh," Knuckle Joe rubbed under his nose with his finger, looking proud. "That's one of the many things Meta Knight taught me."

"So it would seem." Bio Spark turned away from Knuckle Joe.

"I admit defeat, Knuckle Joe. And...perhaps it is time I considered working for someone other then Dedede." The ninja murmured.

"Sounds like a plan." Joe agreed.

"Yes...in any case, you should hurry after your friends. Though I'm sure they're fine." With that, Bio Spark vanished with a familiar twist before Knuckle Joe's eyes.

"Guess I'd better go help Poppy and Kirby!" With that, he hurried inside the castle.

* * *

"There! Amazing! When King Dedede gets back, he's going to be so happy!" Waddle Doo spoke cheerfully.

Ever since Dedede had departed his throne room, Waddle Doo had quickly gotten two Waddle Dees to help him carry a Christmas Tree from one of the storage rooms. Now, after much hard work, they had finished making a huge pile of all the presents Dedede has stolen, and placed the Christmas Tree on top of them, fully decorated. It even had a Dedede puppet on top for the star, and it nearly reached the ceiling! Waddle Doo stared up at the stack of presents proudly, with his Waddle Dee helpers beside him.

"Now we just have to wait for his Majesty to retur-"

**BAM!**

The three of them turned to the large, oak doors in surprise. Normally, King Dedede would just burst in, normally in a bad mood. Perhaps he had forgotten his key?

**BAM! BAM!**

On the third noise, the doors were smashed open to reveal a small pink wheel bursting into the throne room, before spinning around and hopping into the air, landing curtly on the red carpet wearing a red hat.

"Y...you're not King Dedede!" Waddle Doo exclaimed in shock.

"Nope! We're not as chubby as he is!"

As Poppy finished her sentence, she hurled one of her bombs through the air, and Waddle Doo gave a startled jump. He immediately ran towards the presents while the other two Waddle Dees were hit by the bomb. The blast was enough to send both of them out of a glass window with a **SMASH!**

"Puyo!" Kirby and Poppy ran towards the presents, before Waddle Doo gave a pathetic evil laugh.

"Bwahaha! You think you can take your presents back that easily?" He was trying to be bad, and wasn't making much of an impression on the pair, what with his soft voice and size. Waddle Doo then suddenly pulled out a small red axe.

"See ya later!"

He swiped the bottom of the tree, separating it from the rest of the tree, which began to sway violently. Waddle Doo hopped off to the side, in front of Dedede's throne, laughing at Kirby and Poppy.

"Kirby!" Poppy cried, shielding herself. Kirby himself ducked down, hoping this would be enough to protect him.

"This is what happens when you mess with King Dedede's most loyal minion!" Waddle Doo mocked the pair, laughing some more.

"You end up like a pancake!"

Waddle Doo said no more; at that precise moment, the tree fell to the side off the stack of presents, and landed on Waddle Doo, burying him in a midst of green and Christmas decorations. Kirby and Poppy blinked, looking dumbfounded by what just happened.

"Well...that was easy." Poppy said quietly. Then, she turned to Kirby.

"Well, let's get all these presents out of here, Kirby! We'll deal with Dedede-"

"_WHY IS MY THRONE DOOR RUINED...OH, DON'T TELL ME!"_

"...Now." Poppy finished, as she turned towards the entrance to the throne room, Kirby facing with her. Both were primed for a fight, and they got one as Dedede smashed through the remainder of his door with his body weight.

"_**KIRBY! I AM GONNA CLOBBER YOU LIKE I'VE NEVER CLOBBERED BEFORE!"**_ Dedede roared, suddenly launching himself into the air.

"Move!" Poppy yelled. Kirby transformed into a wheel and raced forward as Poppy moved to the side. Dedede flattened thin air as he made his landing, shaking the entire room.

The King of Dreamland grunted, and swivelled around with his hammer in hand, ready to pound Kirby and his pal. However, Kirby was racing to him in pink wheel-mode, landing a direct hit against Dedede's stomach. But because Dedede was so chubby, Kirby bounced off and hit the wall hard, losing his power and landing on the floor.

"Puy..." Kirby mumbled, dazed from the blow he had taken. Dedede gave a smug grin.

"That all ya got, puffball? Guess then it's time for a nice trip...into my belly!" Dedede chuckled, and then he began sucking air, drawing Kirby closer to him.

"Pu-Puyo!" Kirby began crawling forward in an effort to get away, but Dedede's suction was far too strong.

"HAI-YA!"

Poppy came to the rescue; hurling a bomb in front of Dedede. His eyes widened, but before he could shut his mouth, Dedede had swallowed the bomb. He faltered slightly in place, as if confused and suddenly exploded, a puff of black smoke coming from Dedede's nostrils and mouth.

"You right all, Kirby?" Poppy asked. Then, she smacked her head.

"No Poppy! Silly Poppy! I meant YOU ALL RIGHT, KIRBY?" She yelled. The pink puffball smiled and gave an enthusiastic nod as Dedede shook himself back to Dreamland.

"Make me digest a bomb?! I haven't felt indigestion that bad since I swallowed a Maximum Tomato!" Dedede snarled angrily. Poppy retorted by smirking.

"Then have another!" She yelled, throwing another bomb towards Dedede, but the King was ready this time. Using his hammer, he smacked the bomb back towards Poppy. She gasped as the bomb just missed her, but the following blast knocked her to the ground. Poppy stirred in pain as Kirby glared at Dedede.

"Puyo!"

"Heh! That's what you get for trying to steal _my _presents!" Dedede took his hammer in both hands now. "Ready for that clobbering I promised ya, you little puffball?"

Dedede suddenly ran at Kirby, and then dived, hoping to catch him. But the super-tuff-pink-puff floated into the air, and suddenly bounced off of Dedede's head.

"Yowch!" Kirby landed curtly behind Dedede, who was now standing in front of the entrance. Dedede swung around, his eyes burning with rage.

"You'll pay for that, puffball-"

"_SMASH PUNCH!"_

Dedede was thrown across the room, screaming as Kirby ducked to avoid narrowly being hit by him. There was an almighty crash, and when Kirby turned to see the damage, the reason was because Dedede has collided with the Christmas tree, but hadn't broken it. He did, however, free Waddle Doo, who was now uncovered by any sort of tree, and stirring feebly.

"Looks like I got here just in the nick of time, eh?" Kirby's face lit up, and he turned around to see Knuckle Joe behind him, smirking.

"I've always got ya back, Kirby! Never forget that!"

"Puyo!" Kirby hopped into the air, then his joyful expression suddenly drooped. Poppy...was she okay?!

"Ugh..." Kirby turned to see the female Poppy Bros Jr standing up, tentatively, but her face was determined.

"Poppy?" Knuckle Joe walked over to her, giving her a hand to hold. She smiled somewhat bravely at Joe.

"I'm sorry...I just got a bit...away carried...no...wait...carried away." She whispered breathlessly.

"It's alright. You're okay now." Joe said encouragingly to her. Then, he dared a hug, which she did not deny. There was a sudden cheerful cry and Kirby ran up to the pair, hugging them as well.

"We...did it. We saved the presents!" Poppy cheered.

"I don't think so, girl!"

The trio looked towards the throne to see Dedede standing upright, his expression livid.

"I don't care how many of ya I have to smash! None of you are taking my Christmas presents!"

"_Your presents_...Dedede, you jerk! You stole them from us!" Poppy responded. She might have taken a bad hit, but her attitude hadn't diminished at all.

"Peh! I'm the King of Dreamland! If I say something's mine, it's mine!" Dedede argued back. He began to pick up his hammer when suddenly, Waddle Doo sprang up in front of him. Knuckle Joe took the sudden diversion to whisper to Kirby.

"_Kirby...I snagged this on my way up here. Use it."_ He handed Kirby a small blue block of ice on a trophy stand, and Kirby nodded, knowing what Knuckle Joe intended to do.

"Y-Your Majesty! I have important news! Kirby and his friends have broken in here!" Waddle Doo spoke in a panic.

Dedede stared at Waddle Doo blankly.

"Broken...in here." He repeated, to which the minion nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, and guess what? They're going to steal your presen-"

Waddle Doo was silenced, as Dedede's hammer slammed on top of him. As Dedede lifted his weapon back up, Waddle Doo walked about in a daze.

"_Oooh...pretty stars..." _He spoke in a faraway voice.

"Now, Kirby!" Kirby suddenly put the trophy inside his mouth, and became Ice Kirby, his entire body blue and with a crown of ice shards. Kirby hurried forward and blew an icy breeze over Dedede and Waddle Doo, encasing both of them in a block of ice. Waddle Doo was still dazed, while Dedede has a flabbergast look.

Knuckle Joe then sprang forward, and yelled;

"_RISING BREAK!"_

With that, he launched the block of ice, with the King of Dreamland and his loyal minion still inside, into the air at an insane speed. It smashed through the ceiling and disappeared into the sky...

"We did it!" Poppy cheered happily, as she joined Knuckle Joe and Kirby at the throne, and the foot of the stack of presents.

"Well...it's great we beat Dedede...but," And Knuckle Joe's face grew grim at this point. "How are we ever gonna deliver these presents in time for Christmas?"

It was then that Poppy's face lit up, clapping her hands together excitedly.

"I've got it! This is so clever!" Poppy bounced up and down. Joe and Kirby's faces were dumbfounded.

"Sure, it'll take a bit of work...but we'll get the Waddle Dees to help! I mean, they love Christmas secretly...didn't you all see the hidden decorations as you came up?"

The pair shook their heads as Poppy sighed.

"Look. This'll work. Trust me!" She smiled.

* * *

"Trust me, you said." Knuckle Joe murmured later, his arms crossed and his expression moody.

"Oh, lighten up," Poppy laughed. "It's Christmas, Knuckle Joe!"

"And this is why you made me wearing a Santa hat?!" He retorted, pointing at the hat wear as if it had insulted him in a way.

"Well hey, since we're delivering them _this_ way, I thought it'd be a neat touch!" Poppy was wearing her own special Santa ha, jostling her head about, letting the bell jingle.

_This_ way had been Poppy's craziest idea yet, in Knuckle Joe's opinion. He knew that he loved Christmas, but to go _this_ far? That girl had a few screws loose, that was for sure. The pair were seated in a red sleigh with a yellow Warp Style painted on it, and there were four Waddle Dees harnessed to the sleigh, with Kirby at the front. All five of them were decorated with reindeer antlers, and Kirby had a red dot painted on his nose. In the back of the sleigh was a huge pink sack which they had gathered all the presents in. Knuckle Joe had no idea how she got everyone to agree to it...well, Kirby couldn't wait to join in. He had even brought the red paint for his nose from his house. It was now night-time and snow was still falling across Popstar.

Knuckle Joe sighed.

"Alright, fine. I guess we'd best start moving." However, he was put off by the look of pure disbelief on Poppy's face.

"...You don't honestly think we're going to make these Waddle Dees and Kirby walk all around Popstar, do you?"

"Well, how else are we going to get around in this sleigh?" Knuckle Joe questioned.

"Simple. We fly!"

"...Fly." Knuckle Joe repeated, to which Poppy nodded. "Tell me, Poppy, how do you expect us to _fly_?"

"Oh, that's the best part." A smug look came from the Poppy Bros Jr girl as she suddenly snapped her fingers. Then, Knuckle Joe noticed four ropes brought up around them...and holding each rope was...

"...Capsule J's?" He asked, looking up at the small blue creatures, each with a jet-pack on their back.

"Yup! They're gonna help us stay afloat! And they're surprisingly strong. We shouldn't have any difficulties!" Poppy said confidently.

Kirby suddenly gave an impatient "Puyo!" from the front, and Knuckle Joe gave in.

"Alright, fine. Let's see if this works as well as you think, Poppy."

"It'll be a-okay! You really ought to take a chance on the wild side, Knuckle Joe." She winked, taking the ropes holding the Waddle Dees and Kirby together. Then, each Capsule J began to hover higher in the sky, and Knuckle Joe gripped the side as he felt the sleigh actually lift up and away from outside Castle Dedede. As they took off, slowly climbing higher, Poppy reached behind to grab a present.

"Sir Kibble's! Down that goes to him!" She hurled it over the side, and it fell down below. Knuckle Joe had also grabbed a present.

"Hey, this is one of yours, Poppy!"

"Just throw it down, then!"

Knuckle Joe did as she ask, letting her present drop below to her house as well.

"We should have all of them back in their rightful place in no time at all!" Poppy cheered jubilantly. Then, she let out a yell;

"_CHRISTMAS MERRY! WAIT, I MEAN MERRY CHRISTMAS!"_

Kirby gave a cheerful cry from the front, and Knuckle Joe couldn't help but resist a smile. Even as someone as tough as he couldn't help but love Christmas.

* * *

On Ice Island, a Mr Chilly was walking out late on Ice Island, through the forest filled with pine trees. He had been depressed due to his presents being stolen, and thought the walk might help.

It was at a certain point that he noticed something large and blue coming out of the sky towards him. He gasped as he suddenly realized it was a huge chunk of ice, and was instantly squashed by it.

The ice shattered into fragments, and Waddle Doo and King Dedede was thrown aside. Dedede had turned ice blue, his nose even had an icicle dangling from it, and he was shivering.

"I-I-I-I h-h-h-hate t-t-t-that K-Kir-by!" He chattered, his teeth unable to stop rattling together. Waddle Doo was very cold as well.

"Y-Y-You d-d-don't l-like t-t-the c-c-c-c-cold, y-your M-Majesty?" He asked.

Dedede gave a small shake of the head, and wrapped his arms around himself.

"I-I n-nearly b-b-beat h-him t-too!"

Waddle Doo looked thoughtful, or at least, as much as he could while he was freezing. Slowly, he took out a small gold present, wrapped with a red ribbon. He held it out to Dedede, shaking.

"W-What's t-that?" Dedede asked.

"Y-Your C-C-Christmas p-p-present, s-sir!" Waddle Doo answered.

Dedede looked at it, astonished. None of his minions had even given him his own present before...

"F-For me?" He asked, his shock making him forget just how cold he was.

Waddle Doo nodded.

"I-I f-f-felt b-bad when y-you t-told me y-you n-never g-g-got a-any...s-so..."

Dedede extended a hand, and took it from Waddle Doo. His hands were cold, despite how well he was wrapped up, but he undid the ribbon and ripped the gold paper off...

It was a scarf. Hand knitted, and of a dark green colour, but it had many Christmas decorations along it as a pattern. He had to admit, it was well-made, and with very good material. Dedede stared at it for the longest time, before Waddle Doo plucked up the courage to ask.

"D-Do y-you l-l-like it?"

Dedede did not answer, but instead took the scarf and wrapped it around his neck. It was quite long, so long that only half of it covered his neck; the other half fell to the snow-covered surface.

Dedede then did something he'd never thought he'd do. He hugged Waddle Doo.

"I like it." He murmured. "T-Thanks for m-making it."

"I-It's okay! I-I originally p-planned to g-g-give it to K-Kirby..."

Dedede's one moment of gratitude was extinguished like water pouring over a lone flame. Taking his hammer out, he held it over Waddle Doo...

* * *

**I'm amazed. Totally amazed. 8K. That is possibly the longest I've EVER done for a one-shot...wow. I'm speechless.**

**Now, I hope all of you loved Waddle Doo. He was very fun to write and I would love to include him in future Kirby fics. He was based off the anime version of himself, but more the Japanese one. The Japanese Waddle Doo is much more loveable then the American one, I must admit. I also hoped you all liked Poppy too!**

**I know the fight scenes were lacking; they at least felt that way. I didn't want to get too violent because this is _Kirby_ we're talking about here. Not Street Fighter or Soul Caliber or whatever. I also hope the Christmas representation was good! I did a Smash Bros Christmas fic once (but I deleted it long ago) and one of my criticisms was that I didn't include any eggnog. So I put eggnog in the Kirby fic! =) In a crazy fashion yes, but you're joking me if you think Kirby isn't crazy.**

**Anyway, hoped you all loved this, thanks for reading, I really appreciate reviews, but most importantly...**

**MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL! =D**

**~Blue Toad~**


End file.
